In a
world of dazzlement and distracting displays of virtuosity, count on pianist Vladimir
Feltsman to give listeners advanced lessons in musical substance. The
Soviet-born pianist has always played with a clear, robust touch, but as he
moves into his 60s (he was born in 1952), his performances are acquiring the
aura of elder statesman.

The
A-list pianist appears on the Portland Piano International series Sunday, Jan.
12 (sold out) and Monday, Jan. 13. On Monday, he'll play a Haydn sonata,
Schubert's less-frequently played Sonata in A Minor, D. 537 and Robert
Schumann's mighty character study: "Carnival."

Like
most successful concert pianists, Feltsman showed early promise. He debuted
with the Moscow Philharmonic at age 11 and in 1969, he entered the Moscow
Tchaikovsky State Conservatory. In 1971, he won the prestigious Marguerite Long
International Piano Competition in Paris and launched his touring career in the
Soviet Union, Europe and Japan.

But
in 1979, because of restrictions on his artistic freedom under the Soviet
regime, Feltsman applied for an exit visa. He was immediately
banned from performing in public and his recordings were suppressed. But, after
eight years of artistic exile, he got permission to leave the Soviet Union. He made global headlines when he arrived in the United
States in 1987. His debut at Carnegie Hall established him as a major pianist
on the international scene.

Feltsman
is Distinguished Chair and Professor of Piano at the State University of New
York, New Paltz, and is a member of the piano faculty at the Mannes College of
Music. He is the founder and Artistic Director of the International
Festival-Institute PianoSummer at New Paltz, a three-week-long, intensive
training program for advanced piano students that attracts major young talents
from around the world.